The present invention consists in an electrically conductive sleeve for electrical connectors as well as such an electrical connector.
The invention aims to provide a connector enabling an electrical signal to be conveyed having a high power and/or a high intensity and the connection of which to a connector of complementary type necessitates only a low connection force. Such a connector is advantageously able to withstand a great number of connection/disconnection cycles.
For example, the connection or disconnection forces may be less than 10 Newtons and this connector may advantageously retain its electrical characteristics after 10 000 connection/disconnection cycles.
The power of the electrical signal is for example of the order of a few tens of kW with an intensity of 125 A. Such a connector may be used for charging electric vehicles or for applications in the medical field. In the context of the invention, the term “vehicle” must be understood very broadly, as will emerge hereinafter.
A problem arising in transmitting high powers via coupled electrical connectors is the high contact resistance between the two coupled connectors. The higher this contact resistance the higher the power dissipated by the Joule effect, which may affect the efficacy and the safety of the connection made in this way between the two connectors. It is therefore desirable to reduce this contact resistance.
One solution known from the application WO 2009/099789, for example, is to multiply the points of electrical contact between the two connectors when they are coupled. The application WO 2009/099789 teaches using a connector including a barrel inside which are disposed electrically conductive sleeves, each of these sleeves having at one end a split part defining a plurality of tongues. Each of these tongues forms points of contact with the connector of complementary type designed to be received within the sleeves.